A Woman After God's Own Heart?

By Barbara Keim

March 1, 2008

I have been meditating on what God says about King David. God said that David was a man after God's own heart. If you do a study of David's life you will find out that he was a murderer, an adulterer, and he had a son that sought to kill him. These are just a few of the things on King David's list. The truth is something had to happen in David's heart in order for it to change to be a heart after God. As I read through some of the Psalms that David wrote it is like reading David's journal. One of the first lessons I learned in order to become a man or woman after God's own heart is honesty. We have to be honest with ourselves and with God about our feelings and our thoughts and things we have done or are doing.

First, I realized I have no strength or enough will power to change me and to change the things in my life that needed to be changed. This was the first step in my journey of honesty with me and with God. The next thing I realized is that change in my life that will bring me closer to God has to start with confession. First of all, confessing that I am a sinner (we are all born into sin because of Adam's sin - January, 2008 Amish Voice). Secondly, acknowledging and confessing specific sin in my life. Thirdly, repentance has to follow confession. We can take up a lot of time confessing sins/faults, but if we have no intention of changing then all the confessions means nothing. Jesus did not condemn the adulteress woman for her sin, but he did tell her to go and sin no more.

My first step in my confession was to acknowledge that I needed a Savior. I told God that I am not able to make the changes in me that needed to be made in order for me to become the woman after God's own heart I wanted to be.

My second step was to recognize the truth of why Jesus was born and then crucified. After Adam's fall, God knew he had to provide a way for mankind to be reconciled with Him and in order for Him to have communion with us. This is why he sent Jesus. He sent Jesus to do what no man was able to do.

The third step was to receive that gift of salvation which I did 12 and ½ years ago. Once we receive and believe the truth of why Jesus came, only then God can send His Holy Spirit to dwell inside of us and this is where change happens. Once God's Holy Spirit is inside of us; leading us, guiding us, and convicting us, we then get to chose whether to submit to God's Holy Spirit or take our own way. If we truly have a heart after God's own heart we are going to start surrendering our will and our way to God's will and way.

May each one of you, who has a desire to become a man or woman after God's own heart, take the time to seek out the truth of God's Word. None of us is going to be able to tell God the reason we did or believed what we did is because that is what we were told or taught. We all have the same access to God's Word and the truth if we will stop being afraid. God's Word says fear does not come from God, and it also tells me that God is not going to deceive me or allow me to be deceived. I trust God and I trust His Word!

In Romans 10:8-13 But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God has raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. For there is no difference between the Jew and the Greek: for the same Lord over all is rich unto all that call upon him. For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.